Early Antibiotic De-escalation in Patients With Severe Infections Due to Bloodstream Infection by Enterobacterales: A Post Hoc Analysis of a Prospective Multicentre Cohort

Background

Data about antibiotic de-escalation in sepsis associated with the bloodstream and caused by Enterobacterales are scarce. The objectives of this study are to identify factors associated with early de-escalation and to analyse the impact of de-escalation on mortality in patients with Enterobacterales bloodstream infection (BSI) with a Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score ≥ 2.

Methods

A prospective, multicentre cohort study was performed including episodes of BSI due to Enterobacterales and a SOFA score ≥ 2 who were receiving an active antipseudomonal β-lactam; the isolate should be susceptible to at least 1 narrower-spectrum antibiotic. Variables associated with de-escalation were identified using logistic binary regression. The association of de-escalation with 30-day mortality was investigated. Confounding was controlled by calculating a propensity score used as covariate, as matching variable, and for inverse probability treatment weighting.

Results

Of the 582 patients included, de-escalation was performed in 311 (53.4%). Neutropenia (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.37; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 0.18–0.75), central venous catheter (aOR = 0.52; 95% CI = 0.32–0.83), and extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)–producing isolate (aOR = 0.28; 95% CI = 0.17–0.48) were negatively associated with de-escalation, and urinary tract source was positively associated (aOR = 2.27; 95% CI = 1.56–3.33). The 30-day mortality was 6.8% (21 patients) in de-escalated patients and 14.4% (39) in not de-escalated patients (relative risk, 0.63; 95% CI = 0.44–0.89). In multivariate analysis including the propensity score, de-escalation was not associated with mortality (AOR = 0.98; 95% CI = 0.39–2.47) and was protective in the case of urinary or biliary tract source (AOR = 0.31, 95% CI = 0.09–1.06). Matched and inverse probability treatment weighting analysis showed similar results.

Conclusions

These results suggest that early de-escalation from antipseudomonal β-lactams is safe in patients with Enterobacterales bacteremia and SOFA ≥ 2.